Scythe sharpener



June 13, 1939.

c. E. DELANEY SCYTHE SHARPENER Filed Aug. 13, 1938 Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in scythe sharpeners, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

'6 The object of this invention is to provide means for making a cutting edge upon a scythe or similar instrument so it will present a finely corrugated edge with hooked serrations as distinguished from the usual smoothly sharpened cutting edge made by a Whetstone in the usual manner.

Another object is to make such cutting edge with the teeth of the corrugations pointing towards the outer point of the scythe so that they will engage and cut the blades or stalks of grass for instance in a more positive manner than if the cutting edge were comparatively smooth even though it be sharp.

Another object is to provide such a scythe sharpener with teeth upon opposite side edges, which teeth point towards the end used as a handle, whereby the sharpener is drawn by the handle in its engagement with the edge of the scythe, by means of a pulling or drawing motion of the hand and arm as distinguished fro-m the usual pushing motion with a file.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts,

Fig. 1 represents a flat face view of a sharpener embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, an outer end view of the same;

Fig. 3, a view of a scythe being sharpened, illustrating the manner of using my sharpener;

Fig. 4, an enlarged view of a scythe blade in section and a part of my sharpener operating thereon;

Fig. 5, an enlarged section of my sharpener on the line 5, Fig. 4, showing the lower face of a cutting tooth; and

Fig. 6, a similar enlarged edge view of a portion of the sharpener shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l indicates an elongated fiat body strip of suitable steel having one end adapted for use as a handle I. The side edges of the strip l are beveled by faces 2 to form a sharp edge and on said edge are formed teeth the points 3 of which incline towards the handle end. The lower face 4 inclines at an angle of 60 with the length of the strip and forms a transverse inclined face preferably straight across at right angles to the flat portion of the strip.

In Figs. 4 and 6, some teeth are shown with the transverse lower face inclined to the face of the body strip as indicated at 4, so as to facilitate cutting the parallel grooves in the scythe by disposing the lower face 4' more nearly square across the grooves like an oblique inclined pyramid, and thus avoid any tendency in the successive cutting points to run the grooves together.

Since the sharpener has two side edges and is held in the hand in the same position when the respective edges are cutting the grooves toward the point of the scythe blade alternately, the inclinationof the lower faces 4 are reversely inclined across the thickness of the sharpener on opposite edges of the sharpener. The inclined faces 4' shown in Fig. 6 are on the side edge of the sharpener shown in Fig. 3 as engaging the nigh side of the scythe; on the off side, they are in identical or parallel planes across the thickness of the sharpener with those on the nigh side.

The upper inclined face 5 is likewise preferably formed straight across in a plane at right angles to the flat strip but having an inclination of approximately 30 to the length of the strip I so that it meets the face 4 at the junction of the two beveled faces 2. The resulting form approximates the apex! of an inclined pyramid which constitutes the sharp point 3 similar to that of an engraving tool.

These sharp points are disposed on the respective edges of the strip at approximately 4 of an inch apart-that is to say, approximately forty of these points to each inch of length in the beveled form, but may be varied. The points on each beveled edge incline downward toward the handle so as to operate on the thin cutting edge of the scythe with a drawing or pulling motion of the sharpener when the faces 6 of the scythe are successively engaged with respective edges of the sharpener.

The sharpener is laid across the scythe blade as indicated in Fig. 3 in approximately a right angle to the edge of the scythe, but as the handle draws the respective cutting edges with a pulling motion off the edge of the scythe alternately, the sharpener is slid along towards the point of the scythe so that the teeth then follow each other across the edge of the scythe, but each tooth cuts its own inclined groove upon the edge of the scythe successively as indicated in the drawing.

In other words, this steel body having a handle at its lower end has teeth formed by faces inclined to each other and towards the handle in planes transverse to the body, in conjunction with connecting faces in planes intersecting said inclined planes, thereby forming sharp points inclined downward towards said handle.

While the body is preferably in the form of a flat strip as shown in the drawing, it may be of other suitable form if so desired and provided with the teeth of the shape and inclination above described.

This motion and manner of engagement forms inclined serrations like teeth upon the edge of the scythe, which teeth point towards the outer point of the scythe and thus constitute a serrated hook-toothed edge the points of which are adapted to make a hooklike engagement with the grass or stalks being cut, which facilitates the cutting operation.

Any suitable material such as high carbon steel that has the teeth formed on said beveled edges on opposite sides of the body strip of the file, and then is suitably tempered, may be used.

A specimen has been made of steel with the edges of the body strip beveled and provided with teeth pointing downward towards the handle as above described. The actual operation of this specimen upon the edge of a scythe has been satisfactory and in accordance with the description above given of the manner of operation and the results obtained.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is:

1. A scythe sharpener comprising a flat steel body strip having a handle at one end and beveled at its side edges to a sharp toothed edge on opposite side edges of said strip, the teeth on both said edges being pointed downward toward the handle and each tooth formed by a transverse lower face inclined approximately 60 to the length of said strip, and an upper transverse face inclined approximately to the length of said strip, and both said transverse faces meeting the beveled side faces so as to form a sharp point, substantially as described.

2. A scythe sharpener comprising a fiat steel body strip having a handle at one end and beveled at its side edges to a sharp toothed edge on opposite side edges of said strip, the teeth on both said edges being pointed downward towards the handle and each tooth being formed by a transverse lower face inclined approximately to the length of said strip and also inclined transversely to the flat face of said strip, and by an upper transverse face meeting the lower transverse face and the beveled side faces, forming a sharp apex point of an oblique inclined pyramid, substantially as described.

CHARLES E. DELANEY. 

